Delhi's Air Quality Worsens Again To 'Very Poor' After Slight Improvement, Schools Shift To Hybrid Mode

Delhi’s air quality worsened significantly on Tuesday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) soaring to 396, entering the ‘very poor’ category once again.

New Delhi:Delhi’s air quality worsened significantly on Tuesday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) soaring to 396, entering the ‘very poor’ category once again. This came after a brief period of improvement on Sunday, November 24, when the AQI was recorded at 318. However, the situation deteriorated quickly, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reporting an AQI of 349 at 4 pm on Monday, and it further climbed to 359 by 5 pm.

Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI on Monday morning was recorded at 279, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. By the afternoon, the situation worsened with the AQI climbing to 338. This is part of a continuing trend in November, where the air quality has been categorized as ‘very poor’ for 17 days and ‘severe’ for six days. In fact, the air quality peaked at the ‘severe plus’ level for two days this month, leaving residents struggling to cope with the deteriorating conditions.

On the state of the situation, one local said, “Pollution is causing problems, like difficulty in breathing.” Despite this, the resident added, “Pollution happens every year but you and I can’t do anything about it. The government should find solutions to this pollution.”

The worsening air quality has prompted significant changes in the education sector. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has mandated that all schools in Delhi-NCR, including areas like Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Noida, switch to hybrid mode for classes up to standard 12. The CAQM’s order, issued on Monday night, directs that physical and online classes be conducted, where feasible, to minimize students’ exposure to the hazardous air.

A CAQM official remarked, “State Govts in the NCR shall ensure that all classes up to 12th Standard are conducted in a ‘Hybrid’ mode i.e., both in ‘physical’ and also in an ‘online’, wherever online mode is feasible in the territorial jurisdiction of the NCT of Delhi and in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar in the NCR.”

With physical classes suspended for over a week in Delhi and its neighbouring areas, schools are now preparing for the resumption of hybrid learning to ensure that students continue their education while minimizing health risks due to pollution. The ongoing crisis has resulted in serious disruption to daily life, with many children unable to access mid-day meals, attend online classes, or even use air purifiers due to the persistent smog.

The Supreme Court also weighed in on the issue, refusing to relax Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The Court had earlier directed the Commission to consider relaxing norms for educational institutions but made it clear that no relaxation would take place without its approval. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and AG Masih stated, “The Commission has been directed to make a decision on this issue by Monday or latest by Tuesday morning so that it can be implemented from Wednesday.”

This comes as the Court had earlier imposed GRAP-IV after the AQI crossed 450, with the norms prohibiting certain activities and requiring measures to curb pollution. The matter is set to be heard again on November 28.

In a bid to combat the high pollution levels, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) noted the major contributing factors to the pollution, including unpaved and damaged roads, traffic jams, illegal waste dumping, and open waste burning. “Along with the enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the state pollution board had directed civic bodies to follow the winter action plan to curb air pollution,” an HSPCB official said. This includes initiatives such as road sweeping, sprinkling water, and repairing roads.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that temperatures in Delhi-NCR are likely to remain similar in the coming days, with moderate to dense fog continuing to persist. “Dense to very dense fog is likely to occur in isolated areas of south Haryana due to high moisture ratio and the inability of low-speed winds to disperse it,” the IMD advisory stated. Moreover, the Central government’s forecasting agency, SAFAR, indicated that the average wind speed in the region will remain below 10 km/h, leading to suspended pollutants in the air.

With these persistent conditions, experts warn that the air quality will likely stay in the ‘severe’ to ‘very poor’ range.